GCU Athletics ready to defend Learfield Cup

When the GCU women’s soccer team steps onto the field Thursday in St. George, Utah, for a game against Sonoma State University, they’ll not only be kicking off a new year in athletics, they’ll be doing so on the heels of the most successful year in the school’s 63-year history.

Women’s soccer is first out of the gate as GCU looks to defend its Learfield title, which had been won by Grand Valley State University (Mich.) the previous eight years. Next up will be home games on Friday for women’s volleyball (2 p.m. vs. the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and 7 p.m. vs. the University of California at San Diego) and men’s soccer (8:30 p.m. vs. Colorado State University at Pueblo).